The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Saints boss calls for ‘special’ night
EUROPA LEAGUE: Wright vows to put pressure on Lithuanian visitors
Tommy Wright wants the St Johnstone players and fans to create another “special” European McDiarmid Park memory tonight.
The Perth side come up against FK Trakai in the Europa League first qualifying round, with the Saints boss mindful that not conceding an away goal is a priority. However, he is also determined that they need to make it a contest that their Lithuanian opponents won’t be accustomed to.
“The expectation will be for us to go through the tie and we’ve got to be ready for that,” said Wright, who has signed left-back Scott Tanser on a oneyear deal.
“We’ve got to put as much pressure as we can on them from the first whistle.
“Having looked at their league, teams have sat off and let them play. We certainly won’t do that.
“I’m expecting a tough match but we’re going out to try and win the game.”
On the part the Perth fans can play, Wright added: “Even though it’s a small ground I always think that the European nights here are special.
“The fans get right behind us from the first whistle. We want as many as possible to come out. I’m sure they will make it as difficult for the opposition as possible.”
The Europa League group stages seem a long way off at the end of June and the fact that only two clubs that entered at this point last year got that far shows the wisdom of Wright not setting sights too high.
“Only a handful of clubs have gone through to the group stages from the first qualifying round over the last few years,” he said. “That shows how difficult it is.
“You can get through three qualifiers and then play a team that has dropped out of the Champions League.
“But it can be done. Shamrock Rovers have proved it. You need a bit of luck in the draw and in the games.
“If we got to the group stages it would surpass anything that we’ve achieved in the history of the club.”
Wright expects international clearance for Tanser to come through today and for the 22-year-old to be in his squad.
The former Rochdale and Port Vale man said: “It was a no-brainer to come up here.
“The lads have been superb with me. It’s helped having an old team-mate from Rochdale, Graham Cummins, at the club.
“It’s exciting times at St Johnstone. I’ve never experienced European football before and I’m really looking forward to it. To be involved would be a massive thing for me.”
Trakai manager Oleg Vasilenko said: “St Johnstone are a team which has a lot of quality and keep their style from game to game.”
Deividas Cesnauskis, who played against Saints for Hearts, said: “I believe our team has good quality and can give St Johnstone a fight. I have good memories from Hearts and I’m happy to be back.”